Amusement device



Oct. 20, 1925- J. WHITELEY AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed March 6.

1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Oct. 20, 1925. x 1,558,134

J. WHITELEY AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed Marh 6, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Oct. 20, 1925.

J. WHITELEY AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed March 6, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR J'AME WHITELEY I BY ATTORNEYS Oct. 20, 1925 1,558,134

J. wHrrsu-zv AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed March 6, 1925 4 Shets-Sheet 4 pupa-:3.

INVENTOR JAM WHI LE ATTORNEYS.

Patented Oct 20,, 1925.

JAMES 'VJHITELEY, OF NGREH EORATIQN. U3? DUVER,

.llflE'USEIlKENT DEVICE.

Application filed March To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, JAIRXES Vi "r1I'rniinr, a citizen of t is United Eitates oi America, and

resident or the town of North Tona- Wanda, county of Niagara, in the Fatate of New York, United States of America, have invented cei ain lien and useful improvements in Amusement Devices, of which the following is a lull v clear, and exact descrip- .tion.

lily invention relates to improvements in ainuseinent devices of the type in which passengers are carried in a car or train run ning on track enclosed in tunnel struclure the enterior oi the tunnel being preferably designed to simulate the body of a creepi annual such as a dragon. One object of the invention is to devise means for imparting an undulating and transverse rocking motion to the sections of the track as the cars travel thereover. A further object oi? the invention is to devise means for in'iparting a transverse side to side movement to portions of the track thus giving a resultant side to side or shaking movement to the cars thereon. it still further object oi the invention is to provide movable means successively coming in contact with the cars for propelling them along the track.

My invention-consists oi an apparatus constructeu and arranged all as hereinafter more particularly described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a plan view or my device.

big. :2 is an elevational sectional view of the mechanism for operating the track nctuating means.

3 is a broken away view of a portion or the device showing the means for propelling the cars along the track.

is a plan view thereof the tunnel through which tl e cars travel being removed.

Fig. 5 is a broken away front elevational view oi a portion of the interior of the tun nel showing the cars passing over the undulating track.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged -lhcont elevational view oi portion of the track supporting frame showing the undulating tracks and the cars thereon, the means being shown for imparting the undulating movement to the track with the corresponding rocking motion to the cars.

6 19535. Serial No. 13,648.

Y is a vertical cross sectional view n the track supporting structure and l 11g one o" the cars thereon.

8 is a cross seotionalview through track and track supi ng the means for i111- .liring a to sde movement to the cars passing thereover. 9 is a vertical sectional view of the lower front and rear portions of two ad jaccnt cars showing the ciinipling ineans therebetween.

Fig. i0 is an inverted plan view thereof.

Fig. is a ginentary front elevational new oi one the pivotal connections between the sect ons of one of the rails of the track which impart the side to side movement to the cars.

l ig. is a plan view thereof and,

Fig. is a fragmentary sectional plan view of a portion oi the track supporting frame showing a guide attached thereto through which one of the track actuating rods pass.

Like characters oi reference indicate the corresponding parts in the dill erent views.

1 is the main frame of my device, being substantially circular and adapted to carry the circulzur tracl: on its upper face; such track being composed of a plurality of connected sections of channel iron. A munber of such sections being connected to gcther by means of the hinges 3 suitably secured to li'iwer tacos and other sections pivotully connected together by pins t as illustrated in Figures ll and 12.

is a pedestal. situated at the center of the circular frame 1 and having an upwardly extending post 6 secured therein.

7 is a beveled gear rotat-ively mounted on such post and supported upon the collar 8 which is pinned or otherwise suitably secured to the post.

9 is a bearing blocl: secured upon the upper end of the post 6 and having a plurality of recesses 10 therein adapted to receive the inner ends of a plurality of radial shafts 11 which extend outwardly to the trains 1, the ends of such shafts being designed to rotate freely in the recesses 10. Each of the radial shafts 11 has a beveled pinion 12 secured thereon and meshing with the beveled gear 7. One of the radial shafts is shor ened and coupled to an electric motor orany other suitable source of (ill power and constitutes the driving shaft st for the mechanism as shall be hereinafter described.

The outer ends of the radial'shatts 11 pass through the train i being; jonrnalled in a pair of bearings 13 and ii secured to the frame, and 15 and 16 are cranks provided on the shafts in the vicinity of the outer and inner faces of the l as illustrated in Figures (3, T, and 8 l? are a plurality of upwardly extending inverted shaped incrnhrs the lower ends of which are jonrnalled upon the cratihs i5 and 1% the members constitu c sap rting means preferably conforthe tunnel 18 r ch strncted of heavy fabric or other suitable material. The lower Q h ts oi the fabric extending downwardly into m'inity with the base the trace 1.

19 are a plurality of spiral springs extending between adjacent members 11'' and adapted to constitute a flexible connection between their upper ends.

The exterior 'of the tunnel 18 is designed to simulate a creeping spinal and a gap EZOis provided in the circular tunnel in which entrance to and egress from the cars is made. fine side of the gap is fashioned to constitute the head of the animal and the other side the tail.

A, number of adial sha't'ts ll are each provided with a pair of eccentrics 21 upon which are inonnted eccentric straps 22 which are connected to upwardly attending rods 23 which pass through and reciprocate in guides 24 each guide beingprovided with a pair of rollers 25 to ininin'iize the friction between the rods 23 and the guides.

The connected sections of the channel irons which con'ipose the traclr 2 are hinged together at points above where the radial shafts through the frame 1 and the upperendsot ihe rods are pirotally connect ed to the hinn'es 3 connecting: the section: as is illustr re; in Figures 6 and 7. It i ing' to l ign v that the ans ar position of the inner and on eccentrics is not e same on the radial shaft thus tie rods 23 are not ii'eciprocated in unison which pro ides to the l sections. On a number radial shafts ll, with cc entrics Q2 1 provid a c; in or n A 1 I u L. iii: QlldLlC i (.6 2'4 in which s cut a spire groo e 28. On

the frame 1 transverse cross ineinbcr is provided and a vertical lever is pivoted thereon, the cper end of such lever being; pirotally connccted to a tie rod 31 the ends of which are secured to the rails of the track- 2. As the radial shaft 11 rotates the cam 27 thereon will also rotate, and the lower end of the lever 30 is in the groove 28 in such can, the arm will oscillate and thus cause a side to side movement of the track 2 as is illustrated in Figure 8.

The shape of the cams on the ditlerent radial rods is altered so that a shorter or longer motion is etl'ected at each point. l fhere the cars and trac are moved in a vertical. direction as ill 1 in Figure the pairs of eccentrics on each radial rod are set dili erentl as are also the pairs 41': cranks 15 am so tl at an erratic of both track and tunnel is achieved.

For propelling t i i 7 .nM. so used such as a di mo e shalt (3h connect ed n the afileso'l too and push the the distance i 19 ii. (32' wit an electric motor 37 and a pair of end less sprocket chains rotati 5 *ounter shafts 2-19 which are suitabh to the shafts To attain the :Jiii'l direction of rotation it is necessary to insert an idler shaft 4:0 in one chain connection. For coupling the cars together a forwar .5 e:.:tending strap a l, the inner end of which is connected to the under side the front of iach can the forward end 01. the strap being designed to encircle the 1' ar axle of the preceding car. collars being pinned or otherwise secii side of the strap moving lo -udinally is secured to its which encircle oeinp; secured by 0 the bottom 1 coo I The operation of i lerice as follows: 'FJ -Jen the drivi i provide 7 1 1 he on eacn inherent to hereon.

p s iai't 4:6 is rotated the *el gear 12 thereon is also rotated and as meshes with the bevel gear wl'iich tatirel ted on th post (i such bevel will otate thus rotating: the radial slia'lts 11 i ough the medium of the bevel gears 19 ther on with which it ineshes. n hei he sl 0 l rotate the difierert secii ll and shaking mechanism it Will be seen that the cars are rocked and shaken irrespective of Whether they are driven along the track or are stationary.

From the above description it Will be seen that I have devised an apparatus which Will be capable of furnishing amusement to a considerable number of persons at the one time, as quite a number of different movements can he applied to the track through the variation of the throws and angular positions of the operating cranks and cams, and furthermore, by painting the exterior or the tunnel structure to represent the hotly of a creeping animal, and by providing the means for giving the animal a sinuous movement, a very realistic and curiosity inviting appearance is attained.

What 1 claim as my invention is:

1. An amusement apparatus comprising a track, a plurality of passenger conveying cars adapted to run thereon, means for undulating the track whereby a rocking motion is imparted to the cars and means for imparting a side to side motion in a horizontal plane to the track with a corresponding motion to the cars as they pass there over.

2. An amusement apparatus comprising a track, a plurality of passenger conveying cars adapted to run thereon, and means for imparting a side to side motion in a horizontal plane to the track with a corresponding motion to the cars as they pass thereover.

8. An amusement apparatus comprising a track, a plurality of cars adapted to run thereon, a tunnel structure thereover formed to simulate a creeping animal, and means for imparting an undulating movement to the track and tunnel.

4. an amusement apparatus comprising a tr ck, a plurality of cars adapted to run thereon, a tunnel structure thereover formed to simulate a creeping animal, and rotatable means for imparting an undulating movement to the track and tunnel.

5. in amusement apparatus comprising a track, a plurality of cars adapted to run thereon, a tunnel structure thereover formed to simulate a creeping animal, and means for imparting a side to side movement in a horizontal plane to the track and an undulating movement to the tunnel.

6. An amusement apparatus comprising a circular track, a plurality of cars adapted to run thereon, a driving mechanism disposed centrally of the track, power conveying means radiating from the driving mechanism to the track, means interposed between the power conveying means and the track to produce rocking motion of the cars thereon.

'Z. An amusement apparatus comprising a track termed of a plurality of pivotally .onnected sections, rotatable shafts, connections between the shafts and the sections the track for causing movement oi the sections When the shafts are rotated.

8. An amusement apparatus comprising a track formed of plurality of pivotally connected sections, a flexible tunnel structure covering the traclr, rotatable crank shafts, and a plurality of connections interposed betvveen the crank shafts and the sec tions 01 the track, and the crank shafts and the tunnel for causing movement to the sections of the track and the tunnel when the cranks are rotated.

9. An amusement apparatus comprising an undulating circular track, a plurality of cars adapted to run thereon, a rotatable central gear disposed centrally of the circular track, a plurality oi radially extending shafts extending from the center to the peiiphery of the circular track, gears secured to the radial shafts and meshing with the central gear to rotate the radial shafts, and means between the track and the shafts for causing the track to undulate as the shafts rotate.

10. An amusement apparatus comprising a track having two rails, a plurality of passenger conveying cars adapted to run thereon, and means for undulating the rails independently of each other whereby a rocking and undulating motion is imparted to the cars.

JAMES VVHITELEY. 

